Storage apparatus, firmware renewal method, and control device

Abstract

A storage apparatus divides and stores firmware which is drive control software to record and reproduce data in a disk medium into a non-volatile memory and a disk medium, and at the time of activating the apparatus, stores and executes firmware read from the non-volatile memory and the disk medium into a volatile memory. A renewal request processing unit, when received a renewal request of the firmware from a host, advises the host of the renewal completion at a point of time when new firmware transferred from the host is received and stored in the buffer memory. The background renewal unit, after the advice of the renewal completion, writes and renews the new firmware into the non-volatile memory and the disk medium as a background processing using the processing idle time of a command issued by the host.

1 . A storage apparatus, dividing and storing a firmware which is drive control software to record and reproduce data in the storage medium into a non-volatile memory and a storage medium, and storing and executing the firmware read from the non-volatile memory and storage medium in the volatile memory at the activating time of the apparatus, characterized by comprising:
 a renewal request processing unit that advises a host device of the completion response at the time when a new firmware transmitted from the host device is received and stored in a buffer memory when the renewal request of the firmware is received from the host device; and   a background renewal unit that writes and renews the new firmware in the non-volatile memory and storage medium as a background processing using a processing idle time of the command issued by the host device after the advice of the renewal completion.   
     
     
         2 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the renewal request processing unit comprises:
 a firmware changeover unit that overwrites the new firmware stored in the buffer memory on an old firmware developed in the buffer memory and the volatile memory, and after the renewal, activates the apparatus to change over to the processing of the new firmware; and   a response advising unit that advises the host device of the completion response for the renewal request by execution of the new firmware after the changeover.   
     
     
         3 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the background renewal unit overwrites and renews a first firmware portion corresponding to the disk medium from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory on the old firmware portion of the storage medium as a whole, and divides a second firmware portion corresponding to the non-volatile memory from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory into the smallest units writable in the non-volatile memory, and overwrites and renews them in order on the old firmware portion of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         4 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the background renewal unit prohibits
 the control processing in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory.   
     
     
         5 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the background renewal unit, when received a command in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory, puts the execution of the command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing, and allows the command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed. 
     
     
         6 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the background renewal unit puts the transmission of a status command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing when received the status command advising the host device of the error or busy and the like during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and non-volatile memory, and allows the transmission of the status command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed. 
     
     
         7 . A firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus, dividing and storing the firmware which is drive control software to record and reproduce data in a storage medium into a non-volatile memory and the storage medium, and at the activating time of the apparatus, storing and executing the firmware read from the non-volatile memory and storage medium in the volatile memory, characterized by comprising:
 a renewal request processing step that advises the host device of the completion response at the time when the new firmware transmitted from the host device is received and stored in the buffer memory when the renewal request of the firmware is received from the host device, and   a background renewal step that writes and renews the new firmware in the non-volatile memory and storage medium as a background processing using a processing idle time of the command issued by the host device after the advice of the renewal completion.   
     
     
         8 . The firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the renewal request processing step overwrites and renews the new firmware stored in the buffer memory on an old firmware developed in the buffer memory and volatile memory, and after that, activates the apparatus to change over to the processing of the new firmware; and advises the host device of the completion response for the renewal request by execution of the new firmware after the changeover. 
     
     
         9 . The firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the background renewal step overwrites and renews a first firmware portion corresponding to the disk medium from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory on the old firmware portion of the storage medium as a whole, and divides a second firmware portion corresponding to the non-volatile memory from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory into the smallest units writable in the non-volatile memory, and overwrites and renews them in order on the old firmware portion of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         10 . The firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the background renewal step prohibits the control processing in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         11 . The firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the background renewal step, when received a command in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory, puts the execution of the command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing, and allows the command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed. 
     
     
         12 . The firmware renewal method of the storage apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the background renewal step, when received the status command advising the host device of the error or busy and the like during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and non-volatile memory, puts the transmission of a status command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing and allows the status command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed. 
     
     
         13 . A control device of the storage apparatus that divides and stores the firmware which is drive control software to record and reproduce data in a storage medium into a non-volatile memory and the storage medium, and at the activating time of the apparatus, stores and executes the firmware read from the non-volatile memory and storage medium in the volatile memory,
 characterized by comprising:   a renewal request processing unit that advises the host device of the completion response at the time when the new firmware transmitted from the host device is received and stored in the buffer memory when the renewal request of the firmware is received from the host device, and   a background renewal unit that writes and renews the new firmware in the non-volatile memory and storage medium as a background processing using a processing idle time of the command issued by the host device after the advice of the renewal completion.   
     
     
         14 . The control device of the storage apparatus according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the renewal request processing unit overwrites and renews the new firmware stored in the buffer memory on an old firmware developed in the buffer memory and volatile memory, and after that, activates the apparatus to change over to the processing of the new firmware; and advises the host device of the completion response for the renewal request by execution of the new firmware after the changeover. 
     
     
         15 . The control device of the storage apparatus according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the background renewal unit overwrites and renews a first firmware portion corresponding to the disk medium from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory on the old firmware portion of the storage medium as a whole, and divides a second firmware portion corresponding to the non-volatile memory from among the new firmware stored in the buffer memory and volatile memory into the smallest units writable in the non-volatile memory, and overwrites and renews them in order on the old firmware portion of the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         16 . The control device of the storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the background renewal unit prohibits the control processing in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         17 . The control device of the storage apparatus according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the background renewal unit, when received a command in which the generation of an idle time allotted with the renewal processing is inhibited during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and the non-volatile memory, puts the execution of the command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing, and allows the command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed. 
     
     
         18 . The control device of the storage apparatus according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the background renewal unit, when received the status command advising the host device of the error or busy and the like during the renewal processing of the new firmware for the storage medium and non-volatile memory, puts the transmission of the status command into a waiting state until the completion of the renewal processing and allows the transmission of the status command to be executed when the renewal processing is completed.